Around the Peninsula

Posted: Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Firewise jobs and help for homeowners on the kenai

The Kenai Peninsula FireWise Team is currently accepting applications for team members to work through September. If you have strong public relations skills and an interest in wildland fire and risk management, contact FireWise Team Leader Meg Cicciarella at 907-394-6038.

In areas south of Soldotna, the Fall FireWise Roadside Slash Pickup Program will load and haul slash from your property for free. There are specific guidelines for piling the material; contact Sharon Roesch at 907-260-4260.

It's well known that wildland fire can spread across property lines. So to prepare for future wildfire threats, individuals across the Kenai Peninsula banded together to create Community Wildfire Protection Plans or CWPPs. A CWPP outlines each area's wildfire risk and hazards, values to be protected, and an Action Plan to prioritize steps to improve the safety of the community. Because lives and property are the most important values at risk and those values are, for the most part, personal responsibility, a key component of community safety is preparations by landowners to FireWise their own private property. The FireWise Team and Slash Pickup Program were developed to help homeowners prioritize FireWise actions and remove hazard fuels. Additionally, public land managers continue work to mitigate hazards on public lands that pose a fire threat to private properties.

Information about FireWise techniques for Alaska is available from your local Alaska State Forestry office or visit http://forestry.alaska.gov/fire or www.firewisekp.com.

Basketball begins

The Boys & Girls Club of the Kenai Peninsula is taking registrations for 1st/2nd Grade Basketball. Practices start the week of September 6, and games run from September 20-October 23. The cost is $60, and the child must be a 2010 member. The membership fee is $20. The registration deadline is Friday, August 20, at 4:00 p.m. To register, visit the Kenai Rec Center or contact the Athletic Department at 283-3318.

Public Health offers immunizations

Immunization visits Kenai Public Health Center are available by appointment to reduce waiting time. Appointment times in Kenai are on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 6 p.m.

Appointment times in Soldotna, at the Cottonwood Health Center, are from 1:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Thursdays. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 335-3400.